Sweeping Addis tells the story of strong women

As the month of March celebrates women, the Goethe-Institute invites everybody to a screening of a film called “Sweeping Addis-The Street Sweepers of Addis Ababa”, a film made by Corinne Kuenzli in 2006. The storyline of the film is set in the rainy season in Addis Ababa and the characters are women that sweep the streets to make a living. It tells the story of their daily lives. The women have no bank accounts; their security comes from their religion and their mutual support for each other. The women join forces, save money together and help one another.“I found myself in Addis Ababa by chance. I got there without any specific plan and I tried to get to know the place as directly and as openly as possible. Doing so, the sweepers caught my attention and I got a glimpse into their lives. That’s the experience I want to share with the audience through my film,” the film maker said.The film is described as a discreet, respectful and multi-faceted portrait of four remarkable Ethiopian women, coping with life in a city marked by uncertainty and poverty. “They made it very clear they didn’t want a film stressing their poverty. They didn’t want to evoke any pity. They took part in the film, because they wanted to speak about how they live, how they relate to tradition and modernity, to their city and their work,” Kuenzli had also said.The film is in Amharic with English subtitles. It will be shown at Goethe-Institute tomorrow Monday 10th of March at 6:30 pm, enjoy.